Book



1 1933. L. E. WOODWARD- 1,913,320

BOOK

Original Filed Dec. 10, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 44 v W37 K Zazmz'a ZWiflvami' W 4, AZZFI/Z June 6, 1933. L. E. WOODWARD 1,913,320

BOOK

Original Filed Dec. 10, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Lewis E. woonwnnn, or raovrnnncn, axiom; ISLAND, ASSIGNOR'TO THE J. o HALL 00., on rnovmmrcn, nnonn ISLAND, A conronerron or anonn ISLAND BOOK . Application filed. December 10, 1931,. Serial No. 580,039. Renewed April 20, 1933.

Myinvention relates to improvements in books, particularly of a type such as check books which are act to have detachable parts and in which it is desired that not only the 5 leaves or pages of the undetached parts, but also the pages of the detached parts will stay open and lie in a relative flat condition so as not to interfere with writing thereon when the book is opened up.

O It is obvious, however, that my noveltype of book binding is applicable to any type of book enabling the user to use the book without the aid of a book rest, or without laying r his hand on the book to hold it open, by

" merely layingit over a flat surface.

To this end I have provideda book wherein various. novel features of binding thereof combine to produce this result. cover detaching strips, the outside front surface of which may be glued or otherwise secured to the cover and the rear edge of which may be readily sewed or otherwise secured to the pages asherein shown. I have found it desirable in practice to provide a binding which will stretch to permit the book to fully open up and to this end I punch a plurality of spaced aligned thread holes in the leaves, and strips Where employed adjacent the rear edges thereof. I then provide a special type of extensible or expansible binding cord of a lesserdiameter than the thread holes binding said pages, and tabs where employed, together. Inasmuch as the binding cord is extensible and of less diameter than J the thread holes it is obvious that it may readily stretch within said thread holes to permit completeopening'up of the checkbook. In order, however, that this thread binding may be particularly flexible and notv readily visible from the exposed outer-surface of the completed book, I preferably thread the binding cord through the holes by forming straight stitches within said thread holes,

whereby said threads may stretch without W substantial friction within said holes and.

said pages may move relative to said cord and inclined stitches outside of and across the, rear edgesof said pages. It is obvious I provide ceal the stitches, however, I may employ a protective stitch concealing tab laid over said inclined stitches.

A further novel feature of my invention includes in combination with the features heretofore described a flexible glue externally binding said inclined stitches to said rear page edges and to the protective strips Where employed to readily permit said pages to open up wide and lie substantially fiat,the glue being not permanently set and readily flexing for this purpose and even often permitting a slight stretching of the inclined stitches. In order to aid the pages lying open when the book is openedup I preferably provide each page or leaf with a creased hinge near the rear edge thereof.

Broadly I believe I am the first to provide in combination a plurality of pages arranged in superimposed book forming relationship and having creased hinges spaced equi-distantly from the rear edges thereof and flexible means permanently joining the rear ends of said pages together so that when said book is opened up the rear end of saidbook may readily flex into an arched positin to cause the hinges of the pages to assume a relatively progressive raised position from the sides of the books to the point of opening thereof so that the book may open substantially flat at any part thereof. By providing a very freely flexible joining means in combination with the equi-distantly spaced hinges I am enabled to attain a so-called progressive hinge with the hinges spaced equi-distantly from the rear ends of the pages enabling them to be readily manufactured in quantity on a standard creasing or folding machine androbvia ting the necessity of providing a complicated machine 01' the hand labor inherently necessary' to produce a progressively increasing hinge for each respective page. I While any type of flexible means to permanently join the rear ends of the pagestogether for this purpose may be'employed, said means preferably includes extensible cord means, which will freely extend to permit the rear edge of said book to readily flex into an arched position to cause said progressive hinge. In my particular embodiment shown this is aided by employing the larger thread holes heretofore referred to of greater diameter than the extensible cord contained therein to permit the pages to readily slide over and through the holes without the friction inherent in a needle punched device, or where holes are drilled to substantially the diameter of the extensible cord. It is obvious, however, that as far as the broad aspects of my invention are concerned that while I preferably employ the flexible glue and the specific type of stitching shown that other types of flexible means may be employed for this purose.

p These and such other objects of my invention as may hereinafter appear will be best understood from a description of the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment thereof and its method of the manufacture. V V

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of'a check book constructed in accordance withthe principles of my invention in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a top perspective view of such a check book in open position, showing how the pages and stubs lie substantially flat when in use.

Figs. 34 illustrate steps in the method of manufacture of my improved invention, Fig. 3 being a perspective View of a portion of a check book with the leaves and cover attaching tabs laid adjacent to each other and a plurality of aligned thread holes punched therethrough, Fig. 4 being a perspective view of a similar portion of a check book after the stitching I preferably employ has been inserted therein and Fig. 5 being a perspective view of a portion of a check book similar to Fig. 4 after the stitch concealing strip has been inserted over the inclined stitches thereof and illustrating how the inside edges of the cover attaching strips are attached to the cover.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed section of the rear end or hinge portion of a check book employing my invention in closed position.

Fig. 7 is a View similarto Fig. 6, but with the hinge elements in extended or open position.

.In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout, 10 generally indicates a check book constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention.

My invention may probably best be understood by the description of the method of manufacture of the check book shown. In the manufacture of such a book a plurality of single leaves or pages 12 are laid one on top of each other, where a check book is employed, said leaves being provided with a permanent or stub portion 14 and a detachable check portion 16. In order to attach my improved type of check book to a cover I preferably employ the narrow cover attaching strips 18 laid over and under the rear end of said pages. Said superimposed pages and strips 12 and 18 respectively are then provided with a plurality of spaced aligned preferably drilled thread holes 20 adjacent the rear edges thereof. If desired during the sewing operation about to be described or even prior to the cutting of the thread holes therein, the rear edges of the pages and strips may be glued together by the light glue 24 shown as is customary in the ordinary binding of books. w i

I then take a novel type of preferably extensible binding cord 25 and preferably one of less diameter than the thread holes 20 to bind said pages 12 and tabs 18 together and I preferably so sew the binding cord as to form the straight stitches 26 within the thread holes and the diagonal 01' inclined stitches 28 outside of the rear edges of said pages and strips. It is thus obvious that by forming the straight stitches 26 in the holes 20 that I permit the thread in each individual straight stitch to stretch without friction within the holes to permit the book to be readily opened up and that by employing the inclined stitches 28 outside of the rear edges of said pages I am enabled to provide a stitching consisting of a minimum number of parts and in which no threads are left on the upper and lower surfaces of the rear edgesof the strips and pages to bulge outwardly when the cover is attached over the book. To more thoroughly conceal the inclined stitches I may provide the protective stitch concealing strip 30 which is then laid over the inclined stitches 28. In order, however, prior to laying on the protective strips 30, to bind the inclined stitches to the rear ends of the pages and to the protectivestrip- 30 when attached I preferably provide a novel type of flexible glue to extensibly bind said inclined stitches 28 to said rear page edges 22 and to the protective strip 30 where employed, to readily permit said pages'to open u wide and lie substantially fiat. I prefer-a ly employ a glue which does not take a permanent set and which remains readily flexible at all times and which may even permit a slight relative movement of the inclined stitches to facilitate the opening up of my novel type of book. I provide the usual cover 36 for said book having the top and bottom portions 38 and rear portions 40. I then secure the improved made up book within the cover by merely turning over the inside edges 42 of the cover attaching strips and adhesively afiixing said inside surfaces to the inner end of said top and bottom covers 38 preferably by means of the glue 44. It is thus obvious that the rear edges of the bound pages are not secured to the cover at all,p;ermitting a ready flexibility of the rear edges ofthe bound pages and strips means of the flexible glue I preferably employ in combination with my novel type of binding, cord loosely extensible within the holes 20. In order to assist in permltting each page to lie open I preferably provide a each individual page with the creased hinge 46 near the rear edge thereofasshown more particularly in Fig. 7.

. As shown more particularly in Fig. 5 my invention includes in combination, a plurality of single pages 12 arranged in superimposed book-forming relationship and having the creased hinges l6 spaced equi-distantly from the rear edges thereof. Inasmuchas the creases on said pages are spaced equi-distantly from the rear edges thereof, it is obvious that they may be readily creased by hand or machinery in quantity without designing a special machine to achieve a socalled well known type of progresslve hinge,

in which the hinge line increases progressively towards the center of the book either in a V-shape or are uate form or without making the individual measurements necessary to do this by hand creasing. I then attain substantially the same result as a so-called progressive hinge by providing freely flexible means to permanently oin the rear ends of said pages togetherso that when the book is opened up the rear end ofsaid bookmay readily flex into an arch or. V-shaped position and I employ the word arch to include any general bucklingin of the center whether in arcuate or V-shaped form to cause the pages to assume a relatively progressivelyraised position from the sides of the book to theqpoint of opening thereof so that said book may open substantially flat at any part thereof. I have shown and. hitherto described the type of flexible means I preferably employ, which preferably includes the extensible cord Whichreadilystretches to permit the rear end of the book to assume the arched position shown in Fig. 7. In order that the cord may be readily extensible and the pages 12 moved freely thereover, I preferably employ the cords 2505? less diameter than the drilled or out holes 20 in the rear edges of said sheet and inasmuch as with the type of stitching I employ the points of permanent jointure of said] threads are only at the ends or the book and the inclined stitches 28 are only covered with a freely flexible glue 24,

it, is obvious that in my specificconstruction the extensible cord 2-5, flexible glue 24 and tion,, as shown more particularly in Fig. 7. I employthe word cord as known in the braiding machine industr namely, asa braid which stretches as distinguished from cord, woven or twisted in a cording machine,

such as window cord which does not stretch and is distinguished from tape, which is a hardmaterial woven on a loom which does not stretch, said termsbeing all well known in the art. As known in the art an extensible cord would have to mean a braided cord for other types of cord are not extensible.

It is thus obvious that I have provided a novel type of book which will readily lie flat when in opened position without the necessity of holding it open and one which is particularly adapted for check books even the short narrow entry portions or stugs 14 thereof tending tolie flat as shown in Fig. 2.

It is understood that my invention is not limited to the specific embodiment shown and that various deviations maybe made therefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a flat opening book, in combination, a plurality of pages arranged in superimposed book forming relationship and having creased hinges spaced equi-distantly from, the rear edges thereof and flexible means permanently joining the rear ends of said pages together so that when the book is opened up, the rear end of said book may readily flex into an arched position to cause the hinges of the pages to assume a relative progressively raisedposition from the sides of the book to the point of opening thereof so that the book may open substantially flat at any part thereof. i

2. In a flat opening book, in combination, a plurality of pages arranged in superimposed book forming relationship and having creased hinges spaced equi-distantly from the rear edges thereof and flexible means ineluding extensible cord means and flexible glue permanently joiningthe rear ends of said pages together so that when the book is opened up the rear end of said book may readily flex to permit the hinges of each page toassume an increasingly progressive relationship from the sides of the book to the point of opening thereof so that said book so that when the book is opened up the rear end of said book may readily flex to permit ILL the hinges of the page to assume an increas-- ingly progressive relationship from the sides 0f the book to the point of opening thereof so that said book may open substantially flat at any part thereof.

4:. In a flat opening book, in combination, a plurality of pages arranged in superimposed book forming relationship and having creased hinges spaced equi-distantly from the rear edges thereof and aligned holes of substantial diameter in rear of said hinges and flexible means including extensible cord means freely movable within said holes and flexible glue permanently joining the rear ends of said pages together so that when the book is opened up the rear end of said book may readily flex to permit the hinges of each page to assume an increasingly progressive relationship from the sides of the book to the point of opening thereof so that said book may open substantially flat at any part thereof.

5. In a flat opening book, in combination, a plurality of pages arranged in superimposed book forming relationship and having creased hinges spaced equi-distantly from the rear edges thereof and aligned holes of substantial diameter in rear of said hinges and flexible means including extensible cord means freely movable within said holes permanently oining the rear ends of said pages together so that when the book is opened up the rear end of said book may readily flex to permit the hinges of each page to assume an increasingly progressive relationship from the sides of the book to the point of opening thereof.

6. In a flat opening book, in combination, a plurality of pages arranged in superimposed book forming relationship and having creased hinges spaced equi-distantly from the rear edges thereof, a cover for said book having leaves and flexible means permanently joining the rear ends of said pages together so that when the book is opened up the rear end of said book may readily flex into an arched position to cause the hinges of the pages to assume a relatively progressively raised position from the sides of the book to the point of opening thereof so that the book may open substantially flat at any part thereof including a cover attaching strip over and under the rear end of said pages, said pages and strips having a plurality of spaced aligned holes of substantial diameter therein, extensible cord means of less diameter than the holes loosely binding said pages and strips together, forming straight stitches extending through said holes, whereby said pages may freely move over said cord means and inclined stitches outside the rear edges of said pages, flexible glue extensibly binding said inclined stitches to said rear page edges and means to secure the outside front portions of said cover attaching strips to the rear ends of the leaves of the cover.

7. In a flat opening book, in combination,

spaced aligned holes of substantial diameter in the rear ends of said pages, extensible cord means of less diameter than the holes loosely binding said pages together, forming straight stitches extending through said holes, whereby said pages may freely move over said cord means and inclined stitches outside the rear edges of said pages.

8. In a flat opening book, in combination, a plurality of pages arranged in superimposed book forming relationship and having creased hinges spaced equi-distantly from the rear edges thereof and flexible means permanently joining the rear ends of said pages together so that when the book is opened up the rear end of said book may readily flex into an arched position to cause the hinges of the pages to assume a relatively progressively raised position from the sides of the book to the point of opening thereof so that the book may open substantially flat at any part thereof including a plurality of spaced aligned holes of substantial diameter in the rear ends of said pages, extensible cord means of less diameter than the holes loosely binding said pages together forming straight stitches extending through said holes, whereby said pages may freely move over said cord means and inclined stitches outside the rear edges of said pages and flexible glue extensibly binding said inclined stitches to said rear page edges.

9. In a flat opening book, in combination, a plurality of pages arranged in superimposed book forming relationship and having creased hinges spaced equi-distantly from the rear edges thereof, a cover for said book having leaves and flexible means permanently joining the rear ends of said pages together so that when the book is opened up the rear end of said book may readily flex into an arched position to cause the hinges of the 1 pages to assume a relatively progressively raised position from the sides of the book to the point of opening thereof so that the book may open substantially flat at any part thereof including a cover attaching strip over and under the rear end of said pages, said pages and strips having a plurality of spaced aligned holes of substantial diameter therein, extensible cord means of less diameter than the holes loosely binding said pages and strips together and means to secure the outside front portions of said cover attaching strips to the rear ends of the leaves of the cover. t 10. In a flat opening check book, in combination, a plurality of check pages, each having a permanententry stub portion and a de tachable check portion, said permanent entry stub portions having creased hinges spaced equi-distantly from the rear edges of said pages and flexible means permanently joining the rear ends of said pages together so that When the book is opened up the rear end i of the book may readily flex into an arched position to cause the hinges of the pages to assume a relatively progressively raised position from the sides of the book to the points of opening thereof so that the book may open substantially flat at any part thereof and 2 the detached stub portions may lie substantially fiatwell out of the Way of the opera tions necessary in Writing out checks and entries on the next adjacent undetached page.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LEWIS E. WOODWARD. 

